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Holidays:  What are your holiday traditions?  |
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finngirl
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Karen
Bryant Pond
Maine
USA
30 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 12:19:06 PM
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| What wonderful holiday memories and or traditions do you all keep? On Christmas Eve the entire family of aunts uncles, cousins, and extended family gathers at the family farm( next door)where my grandmother still lives. We have a dinner that we all contribute to. We sing christmas carols while one of the guys dresses as santa and comes bounding in complete with sleigh bells to give a gift to each child. What a delight to the Small ones. the older ones try to guess who the "santa" could be. Sometimes the boots give it away.We then all open gifts that we have exchanged names for Thanksgiving,clean up and have ice cream sundaes.Since we all live on the same road we gather again Christmas morning for breakfast. I supply eggs from our hens, one aunt makes homemade applesauce etc.. Pretty Waltonesque I know but now that our daughter has grown and will be goiing off the college I am glad that she will have these wonderful memories that scattered families these days no longer have. Thanksgiving is similar in that we all gather at the farm but we do this the Saturday after the official Thanksgiving so that we can spend that day with the in-laws.All the men are avid deer hunters so after the meal the guys go out for one last hunt while the women clean up and prepare dessert. That way the men can come back after the hunt to a warm kitchen, hot coffee and pie.We draw names for a Christmas gift exhange among the adults. We still all buy or make gifts for the children under 18.With such a large family this also cuts down on costs. |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 6:24:33 PM
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Karen -
My immediate family is very small, for years when I was growing up we would have a Christmas eve buffet. My grandmother would come over from next door and we would listen to Christmas music and eat lox and bagels, various lunchmeat and cheeses along with vienna sausages in a simi-hot mustard sauce, fruit, etc. My dad always made and still does, a punch made up of cranberry juice, champagne and ginger ale. We would then open one gift - usually from my mom's air force friend from back east, she always sent "wacky" gifts with funny notes. Then Christmas morning, we (the kids) would get up early - before the sun. We would could see my grandma's house from an upstairs window and if her kitchen light was on (which is always was), we would call her to come over right away. Then we would get my parents up - of course they couldn't tell us to go back to bed, because we would say Grandma is on her way. We would always have Flachszoepfle (German sweet bread made into twists) for breakfast. We still have the Christmas eve buffet at my parents home, but now we open all the gifts because we are all married and do other things on Christmas day with our spouse's families.
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 10:27:06 PM
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When I grew up we never had any of our Christmas traditions at home..it was all at my grandma's house..which was wonderful but I always wished that we had SOME little thing at our house. Every holiday was that way..which made me love my grandma's house and feel that THAT was home and had all the memories. I didn't want that for my own kids though, and when my oldest son was a baby (I was all of 19) I announced that on Christmas day EVERYONE from both sides of the family were welcome to come to our house for dinner and gift exchanging and all..but that we don't go ANYWHERE on Christmas day. We would go to my mom's on Christmas eve and my ex's family would have a family party on another day near Christmas but they all came to our house for dinner on Christmas..so I would be feeding 20 to 25 people each time. I didn't get so possessive about Thanksgiving, although I did cook for that alot too..I enjoy big holiday dinners. My grown kids now have that tradition of being home for Christmas no matter what. The last two have been hard for me without my oldest boys here...but they are close enough to go to my mom's for Christmas.
On Christmas morning I make cinnamon rolls and then we do gifts and have a big turkey dinner at about 4:30 or 5pm. WE just snack on stuff during the day. Now that we arn't near nearly as much family as before we moved to Utah 3 1/2 years ago we have tamales on Christmas eve and have made a tradition of delivering homemade cheeseballs and crackers on Christmas eve to nieghbors and friends here in town. The kids LOVE that. We open one gift on Christmas eve and it is ALWAYS the matching pajamas I make for everyone. I try to find the funniest flannel I can. Last year it was light green with eggs and bacon on it. We have a Christmas tablecloth that is signed each year by everyone that comes to our house on Christmas day and I embroider the names in a different color each year ..there is a Key to the year and color on the edge..that is fun..we have 10 years worth of names on it now and great memories.
Oh..another tradition that I started with the oldest of my kids..who are almost 28 and 25 now..the "three day rule". No one has to share a Christmas toy for 3 days..they can be a total hog about it, but when the three days are up they are expected to at least share a little or put it up.
A couple other traditions..we always cut our own tree or at least have a fresh tree if we can't get out to the woods to cut it ourselves...and we always always watch "Its a wonderful life" and have hot cocoa while we decorate the tree..and it is usually a big one..we have high enough ceilings to easily fit a tall tree. We just use one big tree and all the ornaments are sentimental and everyone gets a new one each year. The kids get all their ornaments when they get married (only one of my boys has his) and otherwize they are on the family tree each year. We deck the halls big time and the kids love it.
Isn't Christmas fun?
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 06:53:01 AM
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Jenny -
Question - do you embroider the signatures - correct? If so, that is so cool. Do you have a photo that you can share of the table cloth, I would like to see that. I bet it is really beautiful with all of the signatures.
Anne in Portland
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 08:39:47 AM
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Sure..I will try to get one taken today and post it later. It is getting really colorful now. I started with just a plain oatmeal colored tablecloth. There are even a few little pictures which I grumbled about at the time..but now I am glad my dad drew a car by his name one year and my brother a baseball..etc..now that my dad is gone it is neat to see his personality in his signiture. Yep..I embroider the names.
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 11:39:37 AM
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Thanksgiving is the big famliy get together for us, as there are two pastors with Christmas Eve services, and everyone else are involved at their churches then to.
So we rotate homes every year. This year it will be at our oldest daughters home,(only married 2 years). It is a 3 day bash. By some weird fluke,one year we ended making up names for ourselves and had an imprompto talent show. So that tradition has continued. We get rather wild and ruckus. We have our traditional turkey meal and then Friday is another special meal. The last year it was at our home it was seafood, as we live by the ocean. Last year it was various homemade sausages made by my BIL. Friday the guys all go golfing while we girls go shopping. WE eat to much,laugh a lot and never have enough time.
Christmas is much quieter. We have game hens always and invite people from church who aren't able to be with famliy. A tradition we started when my Dh was in the military and we weren't able to be with family, we made our own!
As for gift giving, it is minumal. WE don't exchange gifts with extended famliy, to many. Nana does give each of the grandkids an ornament at Thanksgiving. For our little famliy, we draw names. we have a set budget of $25. You can go to the dollar store and buy 25 things or get one thing for $25. We started this when our older girls were 9 and 11. It has worked great. Instead of stockings we do shoes, something from my childhood as we had no fireplace. IT is our favorite part as we usually get goofy, unique small things to put in them. We have even talked about just doing shoes and no name drawing. We always go to Christmas eve candlelight service and try to go christmas caroling.We try to stay forcused to the true meaning of Christmas and not get bogged down with the commercial. I like calm and peaceful!
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
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celebrate2727
True Blue Farmgirl
989 Posts
Beth
MJF
Farmgirl
989 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 12:45:36 PM
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When I was young my family and I would go down to Philadelphia to my Aunt and Uncles house. They had this huge mansion with a giant staircase and 3 floors with 8 bedrooms. All the women would cook their special dishes during the day, while the men would sit around and talk politics, have cocktails and try and steal some nibbles from the food. Then we would all sit down to a huge dinner, followed by more political discussions, then into the living room for music performed by most, then we would light the candles on the tree and every child would pick a candle and you could stay up as long as your candle burned. Besides the candles on the tree it was decorated with Danish ornaments from my Uncles childhood. Then we would sing Danish hymns and finally go to bed. Christmas morning would once again start in the kitchen this time with whoever was up starting coffee, and rolls. Finally by 10 ish we would open gifts. I always looked forward to what my Aunt and Uncle would give me and thought it was amazing that their gift boxes always had their initials on them ( B & A ) later as an adult realizing it stood for B Altman, a departmant store. The house is long since sold and my dear Aunt and Uncle have passed. But the memory of that house will forever be with me.
Now we go to my inlaws for Christmas Eve dinner but Christmas day we go no where. It is our day dedicated just for the kids. We play every new game, listen to all the new cd's, try on the new clothes and have a fashion show, and eat!
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
-Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
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finngirl
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Karen
Bryant Pond
Maine
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 4:27:20 PM
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| Thank you everyone for sharing your special traditions.I have enjoyed reading all of them!Keep them coming. Jenny, I also have given my daughter an ornament each year with the intention of giving them all to her when she is married. I try to pick one that has some meaning to the past year. For example last year she was crowned Miss Oxford County so I got her a crown ornament.We lost our special kitty right before christmas one year so I found an ornament that looked just like our cat with a halo and wings! It's fun trying to hunt for that special ornament each year. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 4:57:13 PM
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That is kind of what we do...something to represent something from that year. When the kids are teenagers I let them pick their own...which is why I have alot of fishing theme ornaments (second son) and football ones (3rd son)
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 4:59:32 PM
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Jenny, the tablecloth thing is great idea, it must be precious with all the family names on it. Wonderful. My Mother places all her Christmas cards under a sheet of clear heavy plastic on the dining room table. At Christmas Eve supper everyone reads the cards aloud and remebers who sent them.
For Thanksgiving we rent the hall in our little valley. Any of the extended family and anyone they want to bring, and any friends and neighbors that want to come are welcome. We have had as many as 100 people. It is all potluck. This year we are welcoming back my cousin's daughter who is returning from Iraq. We all bring pictures and family history. We have a great time.
For Christmas our church has a Christmas Eve candlelight service in the early evening. After that we go to my mother's house for supper and Tom and Jerry's. This party is my sister's family, our mother, all my famly, some close cousins and friends. It is a time my dad loved. The first year after he passed away, was really hard, but suddenly, I felt his presence, and then a great feeling of peace.
It is so wonderful to be able to celebrate, with our family, the birth of our Savior.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2005 : 2:20:39 PM
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| Since childhood, our family gathered 'down the country' .. and as time passed and we grew into mothers ourselves .. the torch was passed .. and our family gathered at our home "Crooked Tree Hollow" .. and as will happen, time continued to march on .. our children grew to be mothers .. and as often happens ..moved to the hometowns of their husbands. recently, my handsome honey hunk husband hank and i retired and moved away to Kentucky to our Cabin Creek Farm .. and now .. we travel to our daughter's home to celebrate with a whole new family of children and mothers (and fathers too!) |
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BlueApple
True Blue Farmgirl
430 Posts
Julia
Oregon
USA
430 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 08:06:04 AM
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Oh my goodness - the memories! Yesterday I received in the mail yet another catalog (tis the season). I usually just toss (or burn) so I won't be tempted but I opened it up. It had all kinds of Christmas things that were popular in the 50's and 60's! Inside was a picture of a silvery tinsel tee and a color wheel that goes round and round and changes the color of the tree! My grandmother had one of those! When I was a little girl I would sit and just stare at that tree! I was sure my grandmother was incredibly rich - her tree was soooooo spectacular! LOLOLOL
There were also these caroler candles that were popular in the 50's - I remember these from my childhood as well. Fun to see things that I had forgotten!
Julia
BlueApple Farm |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 09:52:39 AM
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| Julia, what was the name of the catalog? Sounds like something I need to have a look at...been looking for one of those old color wheels for another project! |
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BlueApple
True Blue Farmgirl
430 Posts
Julia
Oregon
USA
430 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 10:05:51 AM
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Diane, sent you an email. Let me know if you don't get it.
Julia
BlueApple Farm |
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Tatiana
True Blue Farmgirl
98 Posts
Tania
Boise
ID
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2005 : 2:03:50 PM
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Round about the beginning of December, the TV goes off more and my husband starts reading Christmas and holiday books like the Hired Man's Christmas, or the Richard Paul Evans stories. It is really kind of peaceful. I am so excited that Christmas is on Sunday this year. We have church in the afternoon, so I expect we will have a very slow morning and then round it off with a wonderful choir program at church and well wishes all around.
Tania |
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CityCat
True Blue Farmgirl
198 Posts
Catherine
Toronto
Ontario
Canada
198 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2005 : 5:47:58 PM
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Things I have to do for the holidays in no particular order (unless a day is specified)
- Watch a Christmas Carol with my Dad. Preferably on Christmas Eve and it has to be the Alistair Sim's version, black and white, not colourized!
- Decorate a REAL christmas tree (Scotch Pine) with Christmas carols playing on the radio.
- Buy a new Christmas ornament with my sister. I think we're buying something star related this year. We're full up on angels, santas, snowmen and reindeer.
- Bake cookies! There are the tried and true (gingerbread, shortbread, double chocolate fudge) and then I try a few new recipes. Then I have to package them up and send them to friends. I also have to make enough to supply my Mom, my Aunt Yoko and my Aunt Kay for Christmas.
- Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.
- Will probably watch A Nightmare Before Christmas. This will be a new tradition.
- Have to listen to the CBC on or near Christmas Eve and hear Alan Maitland read "The Shepard" and "The Gift of the Magi" So good, but they make me cry...
- Sing along to the Handel's Hallalujah chorus. Alto.
- Listen for reindeer hooves on the roof.
- Listen to the CBC for the Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean for his story about Dave cooking the turkey. Hilarious!
- Eat Chinese food on Christmas Eve. The restaurant we normally order from is now closed so we're gonna have to try a new place... Could be dice-y...
- Go carolling. I used to do this in high school with a group of friends. We would go around and sing for people in their houses and take food or cash donations for the Daily Food Bank. We would then deliver our goods to the local Fire Hall and head back to one of our houses for hot chocolate and snacks. I just have to get a willing group to do this with this year...
- Listen to the Cat Carol by Meryn Cadell without crying. I'm just thinking about it and I'm crying!
- Go ice skating at Harbour Front or City Hall in Toronto.
- Drive around the rich part of town to gawk at the Christams light displays. Some even have signs telling you who designed the display!
- Clean house before New Years Day. Can't start the new year with a dirty house. Something to do with starting the new year fresh.
- Eat myself silly on Christmas and New Years. Both are special in different ways, but equally important. Christmas is traditional with turkey and stuffing. New Years is also traditional with red snapper, sushi, sekihan (adzuki rice) and ozoni (special soup).
- Helping my aunts and my mom on New Years Eve for New Years Day. It takes weeks of preparation culminating in a frenzy of activity on New Years Eve. It is also important to eat soba noodles on that day for longevity and good luck for the coming year.
Cat |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2005 : 11:45:23 PM
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| Julia, didn't get it!! I NEVER get emails directly from this sight. I can't figure that out...Clare, Help!! |
Edited by - Fabulous Farm Femmes on Nov 06 2005 11:46:19 PM |
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Kate
MaryJane's Farmgirl
135 Posts
Kate
Moscow
ID
USA
135 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 10:36:11 AM
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Oh what wonderful stories. Now that Halloween is over I feel Christmas coming in full swing. I love reading all the traditions that I share in common with all of you: Watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas movie, baking cookies, and fresh Christmas trees. Each tradition is full of love and community. I have a tradition story of my own to share…… Every year we open one gift on Christmas Eve. This one special gift would always be Christmas PJ’s. Year after year we looked forward to this gift!! We wore our pj’s all day long Christmas Eve and Christmas day. One year when I was in high school my mom decided she would (unknowingly to us) mix things up. When my sister and I were handed our very thin very light packages our eyes started to well up in fear!! The tradition had been broken!! As we opened up the board games our fears turned to reality (tears were really falling now). How were we going to wear a board game to bed? Thankfully the pj’s were just being saved for Christmas day (they were very much appreciated this year). I don’t know if my mom really knew how much this small tradition meant to us! Doing something year after year with the ones you love to celebrate a season isn’t a luxury everyone has. I am endlessly thankful for what I have. As I get older and move farther from home I will continue my traditions adding some of my own of course. I look forward to some day sharing my love of this season with a family of my very own. Thanks for letting me share my little piece of Christmas joy. I hope you and yours very happy Holiday traditions.
Kate
PS we didn’t really cry over the absent pj’s ( I was just being dramatic  )
Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.....unless they are spelling mistakes. |
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Whimsy_girl
True Blue Farmgirl
576 Posts
USA
576 Posts |
Posted - Nov 08 2005 : 12:15:28 PM
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Every fall we go for a leaf watching drive up Mount Spokane, and every christmas we go on a drive up candy cane lane and christmas tree lane on the South Hill. Our family is so young that we don't like to overwhelm the kids because it becomes less fun and more of a chore.
We go to Montana to spend Christmas with my husbands folks, and due to a disasterous venture to the Black Angus a few years ago for Thanksgiving (my parents idea so they wouldn't have to cook) we have had turkey day at my house last year and this year we will too, so thats starting to become a tradition as well.
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. |
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MBurns
True Blue Farmgirl
1995 Posts
Marlene
Swisher
IA
USA
1995 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2005 : 11:21:55 AM
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Julia, I would like the name of the catalog also, please.
I am finding it hard to get in the holiday mood this year as it is the first year I am an orphan. All my memories include my parents who are now gone. My memories of Christmas eve include a children's Christmas program at church that my siblings and I participated in from first to eighth grade. We practiced our pieces usually bible verses part of the christmas story and memorized carols for a month ahead of time. The church had a ceiling tall pine tree which was so pretty when the lights were dim. Also many years my grandmother or mother sewed a special dress for us to wear. Then we would go home and have oyster stew or chili and santa would have come while were gone so we opened gifts. Christmas day was church and a huge family dinner at my grandparents. One cookie that I remember was kringles a sugar cookie shaped like a pretzel. My grandmother said the recipe was top secret I think it was a yeast cookie. Not sure. Was never able to get the recipe. My grandparents and Dad spoke I think low german at family gatherings and a favorite drink was piechtengel a german rhubarb wine. My grandmother always made a angel food cake as a birthday cake for Jesus.
I love the christmas movies including the new ones each year and look forward to the Hallmark one. I like sending out Christmas cards as many people only write at the holidays. I love the holiday craft shows.
My children and grandchildren open gifts on Christmas morning let them be with their families at that time to establish their own traditions. |
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FarrarFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lynda
Frohna
Missouri
USA
330 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2005 : 1:32:22 PM
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It's me, again...We have our beloved, Bramble, that I am so pleased to know through this forum and then there is me....I am the unrestrained "Rambler". Sorry, girls, ask me a question I'm not passionate about and I can't (won't)write so much. :o{
If I understand correctly, the reason for this whole forum is to share ideas, personal experiences and such for the chance to learn from each other, encourage one another and grow with each other in our kindred farmgirl ways. With this in mind, I would like to share one of our treasured Christmas traditions with you all. Hopefully, it will bring a message of hope.
I must say, I love this forum. And I absolutely LOVE the Christmas season. There is a Joy that only Christ can provide and His love can fuel deep within one's heart.
You won't believe this, but I've already started listening to Christmas carols. Maybe some of you have, too. I hope so, I'm just like a little kid this time of year - all excited.
I'm one that gets into all the decorating and excitement of Christmas. I feel it building up inside of me as soon as there is a little nip in the air. I love having a truly comfy, country Christmas. I do the usual; hang Christmas cards, decorate with greenery, red and green checked fabric, candles, hand cut snowflakes, special cookies, candy canes, a wonderful village, a cedar tree and Santas. I collect them, especially the old-world kind. It's really a magical time of year. The kids, even though grown and all on their own, look forward to it all when they come home. I know if you were to ask me about Christmas as a kid, I have a vivid picture in my mind and that's what I'm hoping to create for my kids and grandkids. It's so important to have those memories to draw from, I know I do often.
When I was a single mom with four children I started taking them out individually for supper and sibling shopping. They took whatever money they had earned to make their purchases, nothing big, just little things. (One year we were iced in and they all made gifts for each other, that was one of our most memorable - it felt like we were the Waltons!) :o)
I always felt I shorted them with my time and attention since I worked full and part time to make ends meet. So one night each week prior to Christmas, each child would get their special night out. They got to pick the restaurant and then we would go shopping for their sibling's presents and school gift exchange. Then we would cap the night off with driving around and looking at whatever lights were up. It was a great evening, when we got home we were usually exhausted, but it was so well worth it. And we always had a rule that once we were passed Thanksgiving you were not allowed to open any bags that came into the house - ANY BAG - so they were pretty safe in getting their gifts safely to their secret hiding places. And I have to honestly say, I think that is one rule they all kept strictly. WE love surprises in our house.
Not every year went quite so smoothly, depending on schedules and what-not, but the important part is that it has stayed with them and meant more to them than I ever imagined. They even looked forward to our little outings when they came home from college. When I started doing this I had a specific reason, but it grew into something much more as the years have gone by and I'm ever so thankful that it is as special to them, too.
They are all adults now and on their own, however, we have two sons who live close by and if we don't ask them about going out to supper first, they will ask us when it will work to have our Christmas supper outing. And I know when our daughter comes home from college in KS, she will want to do the same.
Nowadays,I look even more forward to planning this evening out. Our oldest is married and has twins, one son is engaged and the other has a serious girlfriend and they are all included. What makes it even better now is that it's not just me taking them out; their father is able to share in this special tradition, too. This all started because we were divorced, we are living proof that God still performs miracles in our day and time; seven years ago we were re-married.
Traditions......Hope......Love.......Treasured......all for a lifetime. His peace be yours.
Lynda
Pray in faith and you will not live in doubt. |
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Holidays: What are your holiday traditions? |
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What are your holiday traditions?
